The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for storing and transporting mechanical railway parts and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for stacking such parts which allows the parts to be stored and transported in close proximity to one another without coming into contact with one another.
Many parts for railway cars are not only massive, but also are generally constructed of metal, which poses problems when parts contact each other during transportation and storage. Very often, when such contact occurs, the parts sustain sufficient damage to render them useless. Such parts must be discarded. As these parts are often very costly, it is desirable to prevent any such contact between parts. A further deterrent to allowing parts to contact during transportation and storage are industry standards prohibiting the storing of certain parts in contact with one another or on top of one another.
Large railway parts are often stored and transported by placing the parts on standard wooden pallets and releasably affixing the parts to the pallets with steel bands or the like. Loading and securing large railway parts can often take up to one hour for each part being loaded. Some parts, such as gears, have extremely delicate portions which must be protected with special packing. This packing is expensive and time consuming to apply and often cannot fully protect the part from damage. The unique shape of various parts prevents a standard method of transportation and storage.
The loading of parts such as gears typically involves rolling with the gear by foot across the ground and onto the forks of a forklift. The forklift then lifts the gear onto a pallet where it is strapped down. If the part is not damaged by being rolled along the ground or by being lifted by the metal forks of the forklift, the part still may be damaged during transport if another metallic part on the same pallet shifts into contact with, and thereby scratches or otherwise damages the part. This method of storing and transporting large mechanical railway parts also poses a problem of access to the part. All of the labor required to secure the part must be undone to obtain access to the part, making quick and easy access to the part virtually impossible.
Another difficulty with conventional storage and transportation methods is the large amount of space required to store and transport mechanical railway parts. The large amount of packing required between the parts, to keep them from contacting one another, prevents more than two large parts from being transported on a single pallet. Additionally, due to industry guidelines, the parts cannot be stacked on top of one another. Even if packing was provided between stacked parts, the sheer weight of the parts themselves would pose a significant risk of damage to the lower part.
Placement of the mechanical railway parts in form-fitting crates would be most advantageous for storage and transport of parts, but the absence of an easy way to insert parts into the crates and remove parts from the crates has heretofore prevented the use of such form-fitting crates. Indeed, it has heretofore been extremely difficult to remove large railway parts even from standardized crates. Standardized crates have the additional problem of insecure engagement with the parts which leads to a high risk of damage to either the part or the crate. These difficulties are reflected by is the industry's use of time consuming and bulky method of storing and transporting the parts on wooden pallets over use of either type of crate.
The difficulties encountered heretofore are substantially eliminated by the present invention.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a method for storing and transporting mechanical railway parts which allows easy access to the parts. The speed and ease with which parts may inserted into and withdrawn from the cradle of the present invention assures quick and easy access to the parts.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method for transporting mechanical railway parts in close proximity with one another without contact with one another. The close proximity of parts allows many more parts to be stored and transported in a given area.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for stacking mechanical railway parts above one another without subjecting the lower part to the weight of the upper part. Stacking allows many more parts to be stored and transported in a given area.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cradle which protects delicate portions of mechanical railway parts. Since the cradle secures various portions of the part, the parts are prevented from contacting one another and causing damage to delicate portions of the parts.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a stackable cradle for mechanical railway parts which is easy to lift and stack. Ribs within the cradle provide for safe and easy stacking, while fork holes provided on the bottom of the cradle allow the cradle to be easily captured and transported.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a method for easily inserting a mechanical railway part within a cradle for storage or transport and for withdrawing the part from the cradle for use. The use of a lift strap provides allows the part to be inserted and withdrawn safely and easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for locking a lifting device within a mechanical railway part cradle to prevent its inadvertant removal. Wedging the lift strap between a mechanical railway part and the cradle assures ready access to the strap by preventing the strap from falling off or being stolen.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a cradle for mechanical railway parts which is capable of securing various sized parts securely during transport and storage. The interior design of the cradle accommodates both large and small railway parts and secures the parts against longitudinal displacement and contact with other parts during storage and transportation.
Other objects of the invention include visual inspection of mechanical railway parts within stacked cradles and drainage of moisture out of the cradles to prevent rusting of the parts.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the following specification, drawings and claims.